STARTING 7th of April 2010

Itinerary Guideline

(B); Breakfast,  (L); Lunch,  (D); Dinner

Overnight THE IMPERIAL /TRIDENT GURGAON (B)

Transfer to hotel for Overnight Stay Full day sightseeing including a visit to Freemason's Hall on Janpath. Delhi is the capital of India. It is one of the oldest cities of India having a very rich past. Many dynasties ruled from here and the city is rich in the architecture of its monuments. Diverse cultural elements absorbed into the daily life of the city have enriched its character. Exploring the city can be a fascinating and rewarding experience.

India Gate: This solemn monument was built in memory of the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died in World War I. It was built in 1931, designed by Lutyens, and was originally called the All India War Memorial. The names of the soldiers are inscribed on the walls of the arc of the gate. Later in 1971, an eternal flame was lit here in memory of the unknown soldiers who died in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. India Gate stands at the end of Rajpath, and is a popular picnic site especially during hot summer evenings. At night, the Gate is brightly lit and the fountains near the Gate are lit with coloured lights. The sight is delightful.

Evening attend Lodge meeting of Lodge Civil Lines 310 in Qudsia Gardens Masonic Hall.

Overnight: JAGAT NIWAS PALACE (B)

Full day sightseeing in Udaipur.

Udaipur is known as the Venice of the east. It is also called the city of lakes. The Lake Palace on Jag Niwas Island in the middle of Pichola Lakes is the finest example of its architectural and cultural explosion. Going around the City Palace; A Lunch at The Lake Palace could be made as the high light of your programme for the day in the City.

Overnight: Balsamand Palace (B)

RANAKPUR Jain temples - one of the five most important pilgrimage sites of Jainism. The main Chaumukha Temple of Ranakpur is dedicated to the Tirthankara Rishabji. The most distinctive features are the 29 halls of the temple, which contain 1,444 pillars of which no two are exactly alike.

Lunch could be had at Maharani Bagh before proceeding to JODHPUR - the second largest city in Rajasthan and has landscape dominated by the massive Mehrangarh Fort topping a sheer rocky ridge. The old city is fenced by 10 km long wall with eight Gates leading out of it.

Overnight: MANSINGH PALACE (B)

Mehrangarh Fort- built on a steep hill. This formidable hill-top fort is among the best in India with exquisitely latticed windows in residential apartments within. Carved panels and porches, elaborately adorned windows and walls of Moti Mahal, Phool Mahal, Sheesh Mahal Sileh Khana and Daulat Khana, seem to make the medieval splendour come alive. 

evening attend Lodge Meeting of Lodge Friendship

The rose pink capital of Rajasthan is surrounded on all sides by rugged hills, crowned with forts and enclosed by embattled walls.

Jaipur is a city rich in history and legend. Houses with latticed windows line the streets, their rose-pink colour lending enchantment to the scene, which is almost magical at sunset.  The City is noted for its craftsmen; skilled in the art of cutting precious stones and famed for its garnets and rubies… there are some excellent fabric stores too. 

Overnight: ALSISAR HAVELI (B)

City Palace – A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture, sprawling over one- seventh of the area in the walled city, it houses the Chandra Mahal, Sri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum - displaying some of the most amazing treasures. Part of the City Palace houses the erstwhile Royal family even today.

Hawa Mahal – This ornamental facade of "Palace Of Winds" is a landmark in Jaipur. Its five - storied structure of pink sandstone encrusted with fine trelliswork and balconies have 953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 as a royal grand stand for palace women. 

Amber Fort Palace – Amber is the classic romantic fort palace. Its construction started by Man Singh I in 1592 -the rugged forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise, where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds its ultimate refinement. Painted scenes of hunting and war adorn the walls with precious stones and mirrors. You have an opportunity of having a royal ride on an Elephant. 

Overnight: Taj View Hotel (B)

Fatehpur Sikri:

Today, Fatehpur Sikri is a deserted, phantom city. But the inner citadel is immaculately preserved. Its walls, palaces, baths, royal mint, courts and gardens still stand in splendid homage to a great visionary and builder. At the tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisti, a white marble canopy set in the great courtyard of the Royal mosque, pilgrims still come in thousands to offer flowers, tie a thread in the latticed screens, and to pray for the gift of a son, as did the great Emperor AKBAR, who then built a city, and made it his Capital for 16 years, before having to abandon it, due to lack of water.

Taj Mahal: Mughal Emperor Shahjahan built a monument dedicated to love it in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz during 1631 AD to 1653 AD. Its pure white marble shimmers silver in the moonlight, glows softly pink at dawn and at close of day reflects the fiery tints of the setting sun. The Taj, in all its timeless beauty is still the inspiration of poets and painters, writers and photographers and the young lovers. Drive to DELHI Attend Lodge Meeting Lodge Industry 23

Bandhavgarh lies in the heart of Madhya Pradesh- traditional tiger country. This is where Rudyard Kipling found inspiration for his famous Jungle Book (remember Mowgli?). Bandhavgarh was mercifully declared a National Park in 1968. Today, the Bandhavgarh National Park is a compact reserve (448 sq. km) of sal trees, bamboo thickets and grasslands, teeming with birds, animals and the highest population of tigers anywhere in India. The park is now home to 22 species of wildlife, including the regal ‘gaur’, umpteen varieties of deer, and carnivores such as the striped hyena, jungle cat and sloth bear and over 250 species of birds. Within the park itself is the Bandhavgarh Fort, now in ruins and largely overrun by the surrounding forest.

Morning Park round. Wandering through the Bandhavgarh national park on an Elephant back, you will find the chances of seeing a tiger pretty good. Trained Forest guides leave a little before the Park opening time.... and once a tiger has been tracked, deep in the jungle, they inform the Forest Officer, who then would let the visitors go, turn by turn, to the spot on the back of an elephant.  After brunch drive to Khajuraho [210km, 5hrs], and see the temples on arrival in the evening followed by a Sound and Light Show.

Khajuraho has some extra ordinary temples which rise spire upon spire like a mirage in the middle of nowhere. Built by the Chandela kings in the 10th century (950 to 1050) just 22 of the original 85 temples still remain. Their tall spires are balanced with horizontal bands of the most dazzling profusion of carved figures, animals, trees, chariots-sculpted with unerring perfection.  On Arrival in VARANASI, transfer to the Hotel and later see the ARTI on the Ghats, seeing the "ritual" of evening prayers "ARTI", and watching this spectacle of devout pilgrims and holy men along with other curious onlookers evening prayers, sitting in a boat on the River Ganges itself, should be a spiritually uplifting sight.

Varanasi, the world's oldest living city and Hinduism's most venerated pilgrimage site. The life and activities in Varanasi revolve around the holy river Ganga. Life on the banks of Ganga begins before dawn when thousands of pilgrims with intense thoughts of salvation come down to the river to wait for the rising sun. Soon after the sunrise, the Ghats burst into activity. After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed. Overnight RASHMI GH  (B) Evening Visit Lodge Fraternity and Perseverance 31

Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka. With its salubrious climate, tree-lined avenues, trendy, yuppy downtown, and the software flood, Bangalore truly offers one a picture of striking contrasts. There are old beautiful bungalows, parks, hallowed places of worship and traditional market-places on the one hand, balancing with fashionable shopping malls, pubs, new architectural wonders and modern looking religious centres on the other. Board Train # 2007 Bangalore-Mysore, 1100/1300 City sightseeing. Evening Brethern visit Lodge Mysore 34, whereas the spouses visit Chamundi Hills.

Cultural capital of Karnataka, Mysore is a majestic, mysterious and mesmerising city.  It has inherited all Indian traditions with modernity.  Mysore has a number of historical and heritage buildings. After sightseeing board train # 2008, MYSORE-CHENNAI 14:20/21:30, Transfer to hotel.

Full day sightseeing in Chennai, including a visit to The THEOSOPHICAL Society and Free Masons Hall, Chennai with the Bay of Bengal on its side had been the British trading post for years.

A  tradition still continues today. when the day starts with a meditation around the samadhi. During the day, sadhaks and devotees are allowed to visit either Sri Aurobindo's or the Mother's room, depending on the occasion. Message cards containing passages from their works are distributed to all who attend the Darshan. "Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity." Today Auroville is recognised as the first and only internationally endorsed ongoing experiment in human unity and transformation of consciousness, also concerned with - and practically researching into - sustainable living and the future cultural, environmental, social and spiritual needs of mankind

Day 20: 12 Apr.07 [Thursday]

Departure

Total cost for land arrangements and all domestic flights including the following: -

·         Room on twin share basis in hotels as shown in the Itinerary or alternative hotels if rooms not available. 

·         Domestic Air fare (India)

·         Meal plan would be bed and breakfast at all hotels, all meals in Bandhavgarh.

·         All Transfers and sightseeing by air-conditioned vehicle

·         Local English speaking guide for the sightseeing tours

·         Entrance fee for Monuments as per the itinerary

·         Camera Fee for still camera

·         4 domestic flights

·         5 Lodge meetings and 3 lodge visits

Note: The cost does not include anything that is not mentioned above

US $ 5,933 per person, Single supplements $ 1,482
Minimum of 10 Pax (with 5 Freemasons along with their Spouses).